Jnb flight changes.
Oct 2, 2021, 1:55 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: London, UK
Programs: IHG Platinum; Marriott Silver; Avis president's: Hertz President's
Posts: 226
Jnb flight changes.
I’ve had notification of changes to my Joburg flights in late November, Friday out changed to Saturday out, Monday return changed to Tuesday return.
With internal fights, car hire etc, this really doesn’t work, and also costs an extra day of leave.
Does anyone know how Virgin react to a request to rebook to AF or KLM, given that both flights are now changed by 24 hours?
Thanks.
With internal fights, car hire etc, this really doesn’t work, and also costs an extra day of leave.
Does anyone know how Virgin react to a request to rebook to AF or KLM, given that both flights are now changed by 24 hours?
Thanks.
Oct 4, 2021, 1:49 am
#2
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: London, UK
Programs: IHG Platinum; Marriott Silver; Avis president's: Hertz President's
Posts: 226
Well the answer was: "You have more than 14 days notice, so the only option we will give are a refund, or a change to the day before or after you were due to fly."
Now given that the schedule has dropped from 2 flights a day to 2 a week, there is a significant chance that the second option may be non existent. So much for the flexible booking policy.
Now given that the schedule has dropped from 2 flights a day to 2 a week, there is a significant chance that the second option may be non existent. So much for the flexible booking policy.
Last edited by umgowah; Oct 4, 2021 at 1:50 am Reason: punctuation
Oct 4, 2021, 12:17 pm
#3
Join Date: Aug 2016
Location: UK
Posts: 228
It will be interesting to see if they crank up the nr of flights, should SA come of the red list soon. I have a VS flight booked early Dec, and I would also have the same issue, in that it would affect an internal flight, car hire, accomm (which is very hard get at this time of the year in Kruger NP), i.e. a domino effect negatively impacting everything else,
Oct 4, 2021, 12:37 pm
#4
Join Date: Apr 2003
Programs: B6 Mosaic, Bonvoy LT Titanium (x SPG LT), IHG Spire, UA Silver
Posts: 5,845
They already reduced the schedule through 13 December. I doubt they will add more flights unless it happens very soon as they need time to sort out their fleet/scheduling. Even with the US opening they recently cancelled IAD through February 2022, SEA for several months, etc so it looks like they are planning to be smaller for quite a while.
Oct 10, 2021, 1:37 pm
#5
Join Date: Aug 2016
Location: UK
Posts: 228
Well the answer was: "You have more than 14 days notice, so the only option we will give are a refund, or a change to the day before or after you were due to fly."
Now given that the schedule has dropped from 2 flights a day to 2 a week, there is a significant chance that the second option may be non existent. So much for the flexible booking policy.
Now given that the schedule has dropped from 2 flights a day to 2 a week, there is a significant chance that the second option may be non existent. So much for the flexible booking policy.
I received an email today saying my flight had changed from a 21:05 LHR dep to a 22:05 dep and arriving JNB 22:05 with a flight duration of 22 hours !
Needless to say, I contacted them and suggested it may be an error, which they confirmed.
That said, despite it only being arriving an hour later that originally scheduled in JNB, it is only 2 hrs to my regional flight dep, and by the time I have bought my Sim card etc, I feel it's cutting it a bit fine for my regional flight - which is the last one of the day. Not a big deal, but a lot of faffing around trying to make things work again.
I hope the schedules are not changed too often.
Oct 11, 2021, 2:54 am
#6
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: London, UK
Programs: IHG Platinum; Marriott Silver; Avis president's: Hertz President's
Posts: 226
Virgin have insisted that whilst they would have allowed a change to Delta, as this is a non Delta route, the choice was only refund or date change to another Virgin flight. My original plan had a 24hr5min layover at JNB, their suggested change made it a 5min layover. That includes immigration, customs and a terminal change, so I have opted for an extra day in Joburg instead.
To speed up your transfer, ignore the queue at the Vodacom, CellC etc shops, and get your sim card at the Woolworths upstairs from the International arrivals gate. Woolworths will also sell you an airtime voucher. It's on the walk to domestic departures anyway, assuming you are not checking in at International Departures for Zims, Bots etc.
To speed up your transfer, ignore the queue at the Vodacom, CellC etc shops, and get your sim card at the Woolworths upstairs from the International arrivals gate. Woolworths will also sell you an airtime voucher. It's on the walk to domestic departures anyway, assuming you are not checking in at International Departures for Zims, Bots etc.
Oct 11, 2021, 10:08 am
#7
Join Date: Aug 2016
Location: UK
Posts: 228
...To speed up your transfer, ignore the queue at the Vodacom, CellC etc shops, and get your sim card at the Woolworths upstairs from the International arrivals gate. Woolworths will also sell you an airtime voucher. It's on the walk to domestic departures anyway, assuming you are not checking in at International Departures for Zims, Bots etc.